ooVoo review

ooVoo is an iOS and Android release from the company of the same name. It’s available now as a free download from the Apple App Store and Google Play and carries no additional in-app purchases.

ooVoo is a video and text chat system in the same vein as Skype and Google Hangouts. When first opening ooVoo, users will be prompted to sign into or create an account. Account creation can easily be done through social media profiles, though creating a proprietary account can be accomplished just as fast as connecting a social media profile. Once logged in, ooVoo will import contacts from the device and social networks and will easily list any contacts that are also using ooVoo. Users who don’t have friends using ooVoo can easily invite them, and the ones who are connected will show up on a special contact list.

When two users connect on ooVoo, their options are similar to Skype: video, audio, or text. The video and sound quality are good, and are mostly on par with the competition. Getting into a call and connecting with other users is a breeze and users are able to organize chats with up to 12 people simultaneously. It’s a simple system that feels very familiar to Skype and Google Hangouts users. ooVoo’s basic functions doesn’t offer anything that those other services do not, but it does everything just as well, including seamless interaction between mobile and PC users.

Where ooVoo starts to separate itself from the others is its focus on Facebook connectivity. When users allow ooVoo to connect with their Facebook contacts, their entire friends list is added to their contacts. ooVoo allows for perfect interaction with Facebook users, in both text and video chat. The text chat is straightforward and rivals Facebook’s own Messenger app for ease-of-use. Video chatting with Facebook users over ooVoo works well, too. Chatting with Facebook contacts keeps the same quality as direct ooVoo calls, but greatly expands on the number of available contacts. Users who frequently use Facebook’s video and text chats will find that ooVoo is an excellent option.

While calling Facebook and other ooVoo users is the main focus, the app also provides a few other features. There’s an instant messaging system build into ooVoo. Both Facebook and ooVoo conversations work the same way, and there’s really nothing that helps ooVoo stand out from the competition. ooVoo also allows users to place calls directly to a phone number. The price of calls ranges greatly, based on the location of the number, and whether or not it’s a mobile device. The prices are competitive with other services, but aren’t low enough to draw users away from what they already use.

For users who love connecting on Facebook Messenger, ooVoo is a great app that provides that same functionality and combines it with easy access to video calls. The biggest issue ooVoo will likely suffer from is growing its user base. Everything the app does is done well, but none of the features stand out enough to draw people away from apps like Skype or Google Hangouts. Users who use ooVoo will find it to work wonders for what they need, but those who pass won’t be missing much.

You can follow ooVoo’s progress on AppData, our tracking tool for mobile and social apps and developers.